Harmonization of Life Cycle Climate Performance (LCCP) Methodology

Life cycle climate performance (LCCP) is an evaluation method by which heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems can be evaluated for the global warming impact over the course of their complete life cycle. LCCP is more inclusive than previous metrics such as total equivalent warming impact (TEWI). It is calculated as the sum of direct and indirect emissions generated over the lifetime of the system “from cradle to graveâ€. Direct emissions include all effects from the release of refrigerants into the atmosphere during the lifetime of the system. This includes annual leakage and losses during the disposal of the unit. The indirect emissions include emissions from the manufacturing process, energy consumption, and disposal of the system. This paper proposes a standardized approach to the use of LCCP and traceable data sources for all aspects of the calculation. An equation is proposed that unifies the efforts of previous researchers. Data sources are recommended for average values for all LCCP inputs. A residential heat pump sample problem is presented illustrating the methodology. The heat pump is evaluated at five U.S. locations in different climate zones. An excel tool was developed for residential heat pumps using the proposed method. The primary factor in the LCCP calculation is the energy consumption of the system.